Kilmessan going for camogie glory in Crettyard

It will be something of a journey into the unknown for Kilmessan when they take on Kerry side Clanmaurice in Sunday's All-Ireland Club Junior Camogie final, 2pm. 

The games was originally fixed for Birr but will now be played at Crettyard in Laois.

The sides have never met before in competitive action yet here they are about to front up for the Bill and Agnes Carroll Cup with the Meath side looking to win their second national crown.
   
Back in 2014 Kilmessan won a sixth successive Meath senior camogie crown before defeating Wicklow champions Donard Glen in the Leinster final. Then it was onto face Cavan side Lacken in the All-Ireland semi-final before Roscommon opponents Four Roads were overcome in the decider on a soggy, heavy pitch at Edenderry.

What a year that turned out for Kilmessan, what excitement, what drama as the marched to the top of the summit and their first, and so far only, All-Ireland Junior title. 

Those involved with Kilmessan will be hoping that history can repeat itself.

Just as in 2014 Kilmessan proved too strong for a Cavan team in the All-Ireland semi-final, only this time it was Crosserlough who bore the brunt of a barnstorming display from the Meath team who ran out 5-14 to 0-2 winners just a few weeks ago. 

Perhaps it would have been better for Kilmessan if they had to endure a difficult, testing, mentally challenging semi-final against Crosserlough rather than the stroll it turned out to be although manager John Watters wasn't too concerned about all that. For him the important thing was that his team was through the final.  

He knows it's going to be a lot more challenging against Clanmaurice who defeated Athleague in the other semi-final. The strength of the Clanmaurice side can be gauged from the fact that they draw their players from an wide swathe of territory in north Kerry such as Kilmoyley, Abbeydorney, Crotta, Ballyheigue, Causeway, Ballyduff and Lixnaw. 

The club was only formed in 2011 and they were defeated by Four Roads in the 2014 All-Ireland semi-final but this year they have made it to the final and constitute a formidable fortress on the path  to glory as far as the Meath side is concerned. 

Not that it has been all plain sailing for Kilmessan. They won their ninth successive Meath senior camogie title with relative comfort this year.

Then they embarked on their adventures in Leinster and had to dig deep into their reserves of determination and self-belief to overcome Raharney in the provincial final with the help of a last-gasp point from Katie Ni Choileain.  

One of the most encouraging aspects of that big win over Crosserlough was that their forwards sparkled especailly Ni Choileain who ended up with a hat-trick of goals with Megan Thynne and Leah Dennehy also finding the target. 

As manager Watters alluded to after that game the forwards haven't always fired in the way they can this year and he'll be hoping they can once more produce the fireworks that helped them ransack the Crosserlough defence. He was also pleased with the way the team showed the skill and physical presence to put the Cavan side away long before the final whistle. 

"We do a lot of first touch, it's all about first touch in hurling and camogie, and I think that showed. Definitely, in terms of physicality that has been our downfall in other years," said Watters. 

With a large contingent of players from 2014 still involved Kilmessan have a  battle-hardened, experienced squad. Seven years ago when a mainly young Kilmessan side got to the All-Ireland semi-final they were somewhat shocked when they came up against a very physical Four Roads team and lost out. The team worked on upping their physical strength and reaped their rewards in 2014. 

Now they are back in an All-Ireland final - and they know what is required to win on the big day. With Aileen Donnelly's cool, unerring ability to pick off scores from frees and '45s' Kilmessan can benefit from any indiscretions committed by Clanmaurice.  

In goals Ann Marie Dennehy can draw on years of combat - and she can also rely on a strong defence in front of her while players such as Thynne, Tracy King and Nadine Doyle have both youth and experience on their side. 

Clanmaurice will push Kilmessan hard, but the Meath and Leinster champions appear to have the know-how, the skills-set, the scoring ability, the resolve to land another All-Ireland crown.